He wheezed and gasped for breath as the strength that he lost finally caught up with him.

His vision became wobbly for a bit,
making him dazed.

Drops of sweat fell on the concrete ground,
as he tried to wipe it off with his arm.

Nao wished in his thoughts that he could've as well laid himself down in a bed of flowers,
due to how tired he was.

After he composed himself for a few seconds,
he knocked at the wooden doors of her home.

"Um... hello? Is anybody here?" He said, with a tired voice.

For a few seconds, there were no answers.

He knocked once again.

...

"I'm sorry, please wait a bit!" There was a sweet, calming voice on the other end of the door.

The door creaked as it opened,
revealing a middle-aged lady who looked like an older mirror image of Hana.

Her mother.

"Ah-- I'm sorry for the trouble, but is Hana around?" He asked worriedly.

She nodded. "Don't worry, she's safe and sound. It's just... sometimes, her body becomes problematic enough for her to manage by herself."

Hana's mother smiled at him. "Why don't you come in?"

"Ah... thank you very much."